Four people were injured after the floor of a Bronx salon suddenly collapsed into the basement. According to an NBC New York news report, video from the scene at the salon shows a large cabinet and other debris sunk into what the New York City Department of Buildings says was a 15-by15-foot partial collapse of the first floor of the building on the 1300 block of Prospect Avenue. Officials say four workers suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Violation for Failure to Maintain
Fire officials said the victims in the hair salon were working at the time and heard “some strange noises.” Then, they saw movement and shifting of the floor. So, they were able to run out the front door right before the floor collapsed under their feet. Officials said they were able to get out just in the nick of time.
Department of Buildings officials have said the rest of the building doesn’t appear to be in danger and that the property owner has been issued a violation for failure to maintain the building. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured workers. We are relieved to note that no one was critically injured in this incident.
Why Floor Collapses Occur
A floor collapse typically occurs because a property owner or property manager
did not recognize the symptoms of loss of structural integrity in the building. Here are some of the common signs that a floor collapse is imminent:
Damaged wood: When wooden support beams become damaged, that can potentially lead to a collapse. Another issue that may lead to rotten wood is the existence of termites. A “bouncing floor” or a floor that feels like a trampoline is also one that is unstable, and such instability may be caused by rotting or damaged wood.
Bulges in walls: Walls that lean or bulge are definitely red flags, which may mean that the building has structural issues. This is common in properties that have thin walls, which cannot support the weight of a building.
Excessive weight: There are weight limits for a building’s floor. The floor of a business or office, for example, is designed to tolerate more weight than a floor in a residential building. If load-bearing supports are not properly installed, a floor may potentially collapse. We’ve also seen examples of floor or balcony collapses that occur when an excessive number of people are standing or jumping on it.
Uneven floors: This is also a red flag because it means that the ground in your home may be shifting to one side. One way to determine this is by spilling water and waiting to see if it rolls in a certain direction.
Liability in Building Collapse Incidents
Under New York’s premises liability law, the owner of a property or a landlord (building owner) is required to exercise reasonable care of the property. They are required to inspect the property regularly. They must also regularly maintain the property, which includes checking for hazards and repairing those dangerous conditions. Building owners are also required to warn tenants and those living or working on their property about existing dangerous conditions.
Generally speaking, landlords (building owners) and property managers can be held liable if there are structural issues that result in injuries. Whether it’s a floor collapse, stairway collapse or wall or balcony collapse, the liability attaches on property owners or property managers because they have an obligation to inspect, correct the defects and warn tenants about possible dangers in a timely manner.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident because of the negligence (carelessness) of a property owner or property manager, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. Our law firm helped a hot water burn victim secure $750,000 in damages from the property owner and manager.
For 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/4-injured-after-floor-of-bronx-salon-collapses-into-basement/3435253/